yep, we're the Egwuatus, the crazy family who revealed the gender of our 3rd baby via Facebook live. this was originally Sonny's idea and even though i initially agreed when he presented it to me, i took it back a couple of days later! there are so many "what ifs" surrounding labor and delivery and live video made me a bit anxious... but i eventually agreed though and we want to thank everyone who was able to tune in and share these special moments with us!! in case you didn't catch the vids from FB (from Sonny's account), here are a billion pics and the actual gender reveal video which made for a very, very special Thanksgiving 2016.

you know what they say... if you want to make God laugh, just tell Him your plans. my due date was 11/27, but i literally had stuff on my calendar up until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and beyond. i was determined to get it all done.

Tuesday 11/22

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tuesday night, my boys teamed up and gave me a muuuuch needed foot massage. i had been cramping here and there that day while training my prenatal fitness girls and running errands. they continued throughout the early morning on Wednesday and weren't painful at all, just noticeable and random with no particular pattern. every time i got up to tinkle throughout the night, i felt them. i went ahead and got up around 7ish because i couldn't go back to sleep. my 39th week (and hopefully final) checkup appointment was happening later that afternoon, and i needed to get my Thanksgiving cooking done. #priorities LOL

Wednesday 11/23

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two dump cakes and a gigantic pan of cornbread dressing! this dressing recipe comes from my mom; it's not officially Thanksgiving until i smell it.Cheezer was out for Thanksgiving break so he excitedly came along with Dego and i to my appointment.

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#CaptainObvious TIP: always bring snacks. always. i don't know what the heck i was thinking because i didn't bring nearly enough :-| ! they swallowed those graham crackers before my doc even came in and everything in that room became apart of their playground!!my OB checked me again for dilation and stated "1.5 cms!" as she snapped off her latex gloves. i was thinking, "dang, that's it? ah well, anything can happen." she said i might see some blood using the restroom later, and she was spot on. as i expected, my discomfort level increased post-appointment and those light cramps returned immediately. i went ahead and canceled my trainings for the day because i wanted to be close to home should my contractions rev up. took my last preggo selfie when we got back home! 39 weeks and 3 days. my mucus plug had been disintegrating for several days and this time the gloopy, clear discharge on the toilet paper was light pink instead. this was all too familiar! i told Sonny that things were getting weird and that we should seriously finish packing and actually load up the truck. he said alright, so we cleaned up the house a little in the process so it wouldn't be a complete wreck once we returned, lol.

Thursday 11/24

around 10:30 pm, the contractions became slightly painful yet manageable, and the wave would hit every 10 minutes or so. wherever i was in the house, i would yell, "Contraction!" out to Sonny and he would hit the lap button on his phone's running timer. from then until about 2:15am, i labored at home until we hit the 'every 5 minutes' mark. through every painful contraction i did either one of the following: pace around the house while inhaling & exhaling deeply until the wave passed, circle/roll my hips on my yoga ball, and i even drew and sat in a warm bath for a good while which helped big time. i have been taking warm baths the entire pregnancy, so it was a familiar, soothing, relaxing place for me. heck, that experience even made me strongly consider a water birth next time! (wait, next time!?) i made sure to use the restroom constantly to keep my bladder empty. just like menstrual cramps, having anything in my bladder magnifies the pain.

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while in the bathtub, i had one of the strongest contractions yet. i told myself that immediately after the wave finished we were heading to the hospital. this is it. it's go time. Sonny put our sleeping boys in the truck one by one and waited for me to come get in. another contraction hit as i was about to get in the passenger seat, so i got back out and walked down to the end of the drive way breathing deeply as the contraction peaked and finally passed. i had about 3-4 contractions on the way to the hospital; Sonny drove to the L&D entrance and i hopped out and went right up to the 3rd floor solo. after checking into triage around 2:40am, i changed into a hospital gown and laid down on the triage bed. the triage nurse checked my progress and said, "you're at a 5." what? whoa! i was excited to be halfway there in my mind but definitely couldn't show it on my face. she then called the front desk to confirm i was indeed staying and prepared a wheelchair for me. i hopped in and had another contraction as she wheeled me right past Sonny and the boys sitting in the waiting room! Chiso had fallen back to sleep, but Dego was wide awake and the sight of me passing and not stopping upset him to tears. we arrived to the room, i quickly climbed into bed, and my nurse hooked me up to machines to the left and right of me. the boys snacked on the graham crackers i packed while i contracted like crazy and waited for my epidural. by this time i was 7 cms dilated.epi is IN. ice chips and smiles. i don't know how much time passed before my epi came...of course it felt like an eternity! i'd estimate 30-45 minutes or so, though. everyone had to leave the room except my nurse and the doc administering the epi once he arrived. in less than 5 minutes or so, the pain disappeared completely.

so... my doctor would not be on-call until 7am that morning to deliver baby Kosi *insert sad face*. Sonny and i were both OK with that though and figured we'd just hang out and wait. no big deal. the epi was kicking so it was all good on my end!

at about 4:45am, my nurse checked me again, pulled back hastily and said, "wow, you're at 10, hun, we gotta go." they immediately contacted the on-call Dr. and he was on his way.

i motioned for Sonny to come to my bedside. we quickly chatted and agreed that it didn't matter who delivered Kosi, but that he/we would make sure i had ample time to push while avoiding an episiotomy if at all possible. we knew God was with us and we kept moving forward.

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alright, time to puuuuuuuuush!1.5 pushes later at 5:10am, Kosi made her presence well known! she was yelling at the top of her lungs; my dad said he heard her clearly from the waiting area. "oh wow, Sonny, it's a girl!! mom! it's a girl!!" i remember crying and saying that over and over again in disbelief. this was after i lifted her leg for confirmation though, LOL! Chiso & Dego were quiet when they entered the world, but not this lil' lady. check out the FB live vid here:

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she's finally here, Chiso! he wanted and prayed for a little sis so bad. my team. thank God for my team. Sonny has held one leg and my mom has held the other for all three pregnancies.mimicking her face :D

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yeah, i didn't move for a good while! she was all cleaned up and ready to eat.Kosi's very first nursing session... i can't even begin to explain how special and intimate skin to skin contact is for mama & baby.

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uncle Thew arrived shortly after his very first niece did.my immediate family took the early morning shift, haha.Grannie got her girl :) even though i convinced myself early on that i was having a 3rd boy, my mom never stopped referring to Kosi as 'she' and 'her'. since walking the 5k Turkey Trot was now out of the question for me, Sonny headed over to the Galleria with Chiso so that he could run the kid's 1k! his uncle made sure he was straight for the ladies first ;)after only 3 hours of sleep, he was ready to ROCK it!!!about to have pancakes with Papa at the VIP pre-race breakfast sponsored by IHOP. maaaaan i was looking forward to those pancakes. on the starting line...wide awake now! way to GO, Chiso!! a shiny, finisher medal and a new little sister in the same day. so much to be thankful for.gobble, gobble, you turkeys!

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Sonny took Chiso to be with Dego and my parents, then headed back to the hospital. my ashiness was clearly the last thing on my mind! food was definitely at the top of my priority list though; i ordered breakfast as soon as they moved us over to the postpartum wing.taking it all in and thanking God for answered prayers. i definitely prayed for a quick delivery and everything really did happen crazy fast. i was prepared to rest a little since we had been up all night, but that's not how things work, haha! someone came in every 3 minutes to either check on me, check on Kosi, run a test, deliver food, or give us some info or an update. not complaining one bit; i appreciate the entire experience and protocols, the heaven-sent nurses and hospital staff, and expected / welcomed the knocks. i knew the drill.

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1st usie! i wouldn't be me if i didn't desire and attempt to reply to every single Instagram comment we received under this picture...man. we are so appreciative of your LOVE. thank you to each and every person who took the time to send us a social media message, comment, and DM.this was a great sign. my appetite had been flaky since the 2nd trimester (as far as how much i could eat). after just a few bites of something i was basically done. if i went any further, i'd often feel physically sick. haaaaated that feeling! healthy smoothies were a big part of my 3rd trimester because of it.no crumb left behind! i ate every single thing they brought me on those trays! food finally tasted like food again, just that quick.

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i needed every last one of those calories to prepare my body for nursing and get my milk going.more family came to visit that evening and brought us Thanksgiving food!!! are they related or what? love this brother & sister pic of Sonny & Michelle and her daughter Camille.Kosi is Nwachi's (my sweet Mother-In-Love) 4th grand girl! Papa got his girl! i pray these two form a loving bond that lasts all the days of their lives.

Friday 11/25

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day 2 view!waiting on my breakfast and watching Food Network. the boys get dibs on the TV at home all the time so i took advantage and watched something i enjoy for a change! i could watch Pioneer Woman aaaaall day. #SorryNotSorry, Sonny. she's Chiso's twin, who is also my twin, which means Kosi looks just like me! maybe next round, fam.later that afternoon we ventured out and walked a few laps around our hospital floor. meanwhile, Dego and Chiso were having THE time of their lives playing with rocks and eating pancakes at Grannie & Grampa's house!we missed them SO much and could not wait to meet them at home with Kosi the next day.

Saturday 11/26

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having my usual breakfast and preparing for home.free! homeward bound by the grace of God.we're hooooome! Chiso picked this wild flower for me while outside at my parents house and could not wait to hand deliver it. it's the little things that get you, right?my brother and sis-n-love spent Thanksgiving in Arkansas but came over to see their new niece as soon as they got back into town. give Kosi some time, Natalie, she'll be keeping up with you before we know it.

GIVEAWAY TIIIIME! with the long, sugary, indulgent, holiday road ahead of us this gift card will be your saving grace! november and december are typically the months where we tend to eat really heavy meals. halloween actually gets that snowball rolling and it just keeps on growing...if you let it! thankfully, Salata is filled with healthy options to help keep you on track with your nutrition throughout the holiday season. if you're looking for a healthy, super quick lunch break or dinner option, you are in luck and in the right place.

i would love to gift one of my supporters with a 50.00 gift card!!! so that's just what i'm gonna do! i'm hosting this giveaway via here and Instagram, so you can enter via both places by answering this question:

Q: how do you plan to stay on track with your nutrition during the holidays?!

BROWNIE POINTS: if you tag two friends on Instagram, that will double your chances of winning, FYI!

we had dinner at Salata tonight and it was incredibly delicious, filling, and healthy, as always.

i got 5 zillion fresh toppings along with the seafood mix (salmon, crab, shrimp) for my protein. clearly Dego was gunning for that multi-grain roll!

i also got some chipotle ranch & fat-free mango dressing on the side.

there are SO many toppings to choose from (i know!), but below are some lighter lunch and dinner combos you could stick to during the holiday season. see, i got chu.

next thing on my agenda, the 5/10k TURKEY TROT is upon us!! i've been doing this race for like the last 5 years and i'm gonna keep the tradition going! join me if you're local or have a great run in your own city if you're participating! i just registered and the price goes UP on November 21st, fit friends. i'll see you out there that morning to make room in our tummies for Thanksgiving goodies!!!!

now, who wants this gift card!? a random winner will be selected on the morning of 11/23! good luck, fit friends and thank you in advance for entering :)

i told Sonny to get me outta bed when my alarm went off this morning no matter what. he didn't, haha, but i got on up anyway and hit it early so i could use the rest of the day cooking for Thanksgiving! speaking of, we have a Thanksgiving Damage Control Challenge going on right now by the way for 1 buck!! check out the details and sign up to keep yourself in check for the big day tomorrow. i did a little arc trainer for my cardio and then one of our 6 Pack USA upper body workouts which targeted chest, biceps, triceps, and a little back. then i went into the group fitness studio for core and stretching and did a few of these:

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i admit- i love this Beyoncé video and song. i just do! not a Yonce stan, but definitely a fan.

then i got home and got the boys up and fed before i got cracking on this soup again. yesterday went terribly wrong. bad pics, bad soup color cause i burned the sausage...it was just...wrong. sometimes i want to post anyway and get it off my chest but something kept telling me to WAIT and be still. today turned out loads better. loads.

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while i was cooking away, the doorbell rang. i immediately heard a truck engine start which means it was UPS and i had a package, haha! they never wait. ever.

skinny bacon! what? yes please! when it comes to natural and organic meats, Applegate is top-notch. you get what you pay for, guaranteed. Chiso looooved the hot dogs from our welcome-home-from-the-hospital lunch a few months ago! and if you're a dear reader of mine then you know how picky that guy is. we cracked the bacon open right away for breakfast. it's:

applewood smoked

60% less fat than regular bacon

uncured

antibiotic, gluten, casein, hormone, and nitrate-FREE

heaven-sent

it's no coincidence the soup calls for *drum roll* bacooooon. i told ya, perfect timing. His timing! anyway, it tastes just like pork belly bacon without all the excess grease and/or oil. let's give it up for Applegate!

*round of applause*

without further adieu, i present to you, healthified, dairy-free, Zuppa Toscana soup! it's 2nd place to Olive Garden's chicken & gnocchi soup in my book. maybe i'll healthify that one next ;) . the longer you let it sit, the creamier it will become, fyi. i hurriedly took these pics a few minutes after i finished cooking while i still had some good natural light left and it was still a tad thin. a few hours have passed since and the flavors have made their presence known and the texture is just right.

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup - Healthified

the stuff:

1 lb sausage of your choice (see mine below), sliced

2 medium red potatoes

1/4 cup Applegate uncured Good Morning Bacon, roughly chopped

1 can light OR full-fat coconut milk

1 large yellow onion, minced

1 medium shallot, diced

32 oz low sodium chicken broth

2 big handfuls of raw, fresh kale

sea salt and black pepper to taste

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couple things: i used light coconut milk. full fat would yield an even thicker, creamier soup of course! i also used spinach & garlic chicken sausage that i found at HEB, but you can use whatever you fancy.

do this:

coat a very large pot with no-stick cooking spray and set it to med-high heat

brown sliced sausage in pot (3-4 minutes)

add onion, shallot, potatoes to pot and stir

add chicken broth ensuring the water cover the top of the veggies/meat

cook on medium heat until the potatoes are done (about 10-12 minutes...watch it closely)

add bacon

add salt & pepper and let simmer for 10 min; taste

season again if needed then turn heat to low

add coconut milk and kale (make sure you push the kale into and under the liquid) and stir until well combined

serve warm and top it with more bacon!

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using the My Fitness Pal recipe nutrition calculator i estimate 4 big bowls of soup from this pot. for one 12 oz serving:

omg. i'm running a 10k tomorrow morning. it's not like i don't know how to train for a run, i just don't want to. lol. and the temperature has dipped early this year at that! man. this time last year i was preggo and complaining about the cold. only difference is i still want to workout (indoors) and no first trimester woes. welp, if you're out there getting your trot on in Houston, holla at meeeeee! for now...

i'm going through a period in my life where i'm letting go of something good to make room for something a billion times better. why is that so dang hard though? always easier said than done in my world. accepting change doesn't have to feel like pulling teeth, but i tend to take it to that level a lot every now and then.

i stick to my 6 Pack USA workout plan for the majority of my workouts but sometimes i just go in and wing it.

today's sweaty randomness: back, light triceps, cardio

machine shoulder press 4 x 10

lat pull downs 4 x 10

machine tricep pushdowns 4 x 10

hammer strength pull downs 4 x 10

seated rows 4 x 10

deadlift / overhead press combo w/ 45 lb bar 3 x 10

steady-state, fat burning cardio on the elliptical 30 min

before that though, i met with the ladies of Style to Envy for breakfast at La Madeleine and did my best to resist all their crazy delicious savory and sweet pastries. i met Val and Nikki at the Blog Elevated Conference this past Sept. and we discussed a few collaboration ideas for 2014! looking forward to that.

Chiso worked up an appetite playing hard and requested pizza for lunch. soooo, since were in the vicinity, we chowed down on some Ruggles Green gluten-free cuisine.

i had the Atlantic salmon salad with all the trimmings. i actually forgot to ask for the dressing on the side this time and was too hungry to wait for a re-do.

what a Hammy Mc Hamster! Chiso got his pizza fix and i finished what he left which was only one dang slice! and i have no idea where he got 'eat everything but the crust' from. he certainly didn't learn that from Sonny or i cause we eat the whole thing. so yeah, i finished all his leftover crusts too. that dough is AMAZING.

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here is a lighter, low sugar pumpkin cake recipe i made a few days ago i'd like to share before Turkey Day:

yummy pumpkin cake

the stuff:

1 cup Stevia for Baking

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 can pure pumpkin

2 large eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk

do this:

mix wet with wet, dry with dry, then incorporate together. do not over mix!

divide batter evenly between two 8 in round pans

bake for 28-30 min on 350 or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

let the cakes cool then pop them out of the pans

top however you'd like! i used vanilla butter cream and the very last few pecans in the bag (i hope that explains the debris on the plate) this time, but next time i'll keep it super light and use sugar-free/fat-free cool whip. there are actually a few vegan coconut cream frosting recipes i've been seeing around. that's a great option too!

Fit Foodie Le

fit foodie le is committed to living a healthy lifestyle and showing you how to do the same. see just how great your body is designed to feel through physical activity and eating well. we are obsessed with dairy-free recipes and taking care of yourself, inside and out.